Windy Weather and following the Clintons August 5, 2009

Well, summer classes are almost done and I just bought a crap load of books for my 3 fall classes…I wish I could say that the expenses would stop there, but alas, after those classes come my thesis research and the bill that comes with that. Oh well, maybe Ill get a job to help pay for all these books…and a place to put them!

Ive been catching up on all the news following the release of the 2 journalists from North Korea, and the mission Clinton undertook to Pyongyang to secure their release.  I couldnt help but laugh a little because Kim Jung Il took a page right out of Maos ways to wage a revolution! Offer release if a high level envoy comes to Pyongyang. Then when that happens, spin the news on local media and help bolster your reputation domestically! And of course since the US is the evil in the world, a high ranking envoy from them would be the best propaganda of all! Im still glad that Clinton went because to the rest of the the world, it showed a sign that the US is willing to take diplomatic measures to end issues, even if the North Koreans spin it as the US is weak and bowed down to our demands…which is what is beginning to happen. Whatever Kim Jung Il…you can paint the US however you want, all it will do is maybe help reinforce domestic support…..maybe.

The other Clinton…aka Madame Secretary of State…is touring Africa right now, and Ive been following the news there too (of course!). I personally cant wait for some news on the talks she is going ot hold with the Somali President…not that anything that results from that meeting will be able to be implemented since that government is being propped up by AU and international support. The US tactics have been to supply weapons and other military aid to the Somali military, but that hasnt worked yet, and personally dont think that it will now!  With no stable government since 1991, its about time that the International community joins and trys to sort out the mess there, but then again, tribal loyalties get put aside when international players come to town…so what is the answer? anyone?

In case you arent aware…Hurricane Felicia is knocking on my door…Im waiting for it to cross the 135 parrellel and a Hurricane Watch to be effectively  put into place….I hope it doenst come this way though, cause honestly, even a Catagory 1 would wipe out Hawaii…and I dont necessarily want to be here for that event!  I think I need to go buy some water…and enjoy these nice cooling winds that seem to be coming before the storm.

Later!

Australian serial killer, the next Oscar nominated film, and a little OchoCinco drama July 15, 2009

Oh god damn it OchoCinco…I thought that after ast seasons horrible record, you were trying to be a team player(well verbally be one at least).  After all, you announced that yu were planning on living with the Palmer family to tighten that realtionship between QB and WR…and now you have to open youre big ole’ mouth and start blabbing about how you are planning to defy the NFL. Seriously? Why bite the hand that feeds you?! And for those of you who havent heard or read about his latest antics, he is wanting to Tweet during games, and the NFL said no. Seriously? Who cares either way…while I think it would be fun to see player tweets, its not necesssary or pertinent. What this all tells me is that 1) Twitter has officially become something truly obsessive and addictive (especially after we heard about Twitter going to space with the new NASA crew) and 2) that Chad needs to grow up!

Well I know what I want to see next in the movie theatres…Kim Jong Ils biopic…yep thats right…cause you know that North Korea will  just glamorize his every action, and whats more fun then watching some fun propaganda? Somehow i doubt I will ever see it, let alone in a movie theatre here in the US…but hey, maybe..a girl can dream cant she? (and yes I know im insane, but you have to admit it woud be freakin hilarious)…Oscars here it comes!

Australia has a serial killer on the loose..and so far 9 are dead…all had their stomachs slashed open…and for all of those around Sydney Harbor, it is a nightmare. The Penguins are being killed….but by what?!  Yes I know Im a dork, but when I read about these animal attack and the reactions of those around I couldnt help but play the comedic stupid drama card. After all, parks services actually hired 2 snipers to kill any foxes or other possible predator. Yes snipers. Extreme? Not so much. This is, after all, a country that’s considering building fences across chunks of Tasmania to help prevent endangered Tasmanian Devils with a contagious cancer from infecting the healthy population. And so now the enitre population is out to save these penguins, including telling the Mayor to do what ever was necessary…which obviously translates to snipers in Australian speak.

Later!

The annual events that mark the passing of the 4th… July 4, 2009

Well Happy 4th everyone. I am currently sitting in the hot tropical oasis known as Hawaii and listening to the beginnings of fireworks being set off in my neighborhood. I have been warned that I should expect to not see much beyond smoke in our valley tonight…so hopefully I wont choke to death!

I think its kinda funny to read on twitter, facebook, and other news outlets how people celebrate the 4th. Of course there is the traditional BBQing, fireworks, and camping that seems to accompany every 4th. Oh and there is of course the annual Nathans Hot Dog eating contest, where Joey Chestnutt remained world champ eating 68 hot dogs this year. But how about protests? Well I guess it wouldn’t be a true rememberance of Independence Day without someone protesting, after all, thats what this holiday is kind of about.  And in true fashion, those protestors held a TEA party demonstration, and of course it was about taxes…again. And then there is the media, public relations friendly event of opening the Statue of Libertys crown for the 1st time sine 9/11.  Which has been a long time coming…  And then there is the odd…like someone naming a sea turtle after Obama and freeing him on Independence Day.  Yes that reallyhappened.

While these are all ways the US celebrated the day, there is of course North Koreas answer to the holiday…setting off 7 short range missiles to send a signal at Washington DC that it will not cave to international pressure. But this isnt the first time that Kim Jung Il has done this. He has used the 4th of July in the past as his own version of firepower. 3 years ago, he made a similar move, by attempting to launch a long-range, multi-stage ballistic missile, in explicit defiance of a U.N. resolution. So, Kim Jung Il…have fun with your fire works displays…it doesnt bother us.

Well, apparently google search must think that since Im a Packers fan, that searches for Tramon Williams wedding pictures must be available on my blog, because for the past several weeks, it has been one of the more frequent search queries that have lead to my blog…and NO I do not have any pics or news on this wedding…heck I dont follow the players personal lives unless they end up on the front page news for something stupid.

Later!

The overthrow of Zelaya, some Kang Nam action, and an uplifted C-Span? June 30, 2009

Well its been several days since I last blogged, and it is mainly due to the fact that the available news has been scarce except that revolving around Michael Jackson, Farrah, or Mays deaths…and honestly, we have been bombarded enough with news on the deaths within the entertainment industry that I couldnt bring myself to even regurgitate anything on the subject! So alas, Im back, and have some subjects to actually blog on!  How exciting!  Oh yes, and If Im typing and an x is left out, for some reason my x on my key board is sticking and when I type fast x has been removed from the alphabet!

Ahh..its nice to know that during all the MJ hoopla, the US military is still able to perform its duties! The Navy has been monitoring the North Korean ship, the Kang Nam 1,which  has changed its course.  The boat is suspected of carrying illegal weapons and possibly missiles, all which was banned under UN sanctions after the nucleur testing that North Korea did a few months back. The ship was heading south and was expected to dock in Hong Kong for fuel, but about 250 miles from HK, it changed course and is heading back north. I am reading a few things into that…and I tell you up front this is just my wild fascination with conspiracy theories running amuck with foreign relations thrown in! When the UN imposed sanctions on North Korea, allowing for any member state to request inspection and board a North Korean vessel that is suspected of carrying illicit materials, North Korea declared that any interception of its vessels and any attempts to board would be a declaration of war.  This leads me to two trains of thought. First, North Koreas declaration implys an interception more at seas then land, and thus docking in Hong Kong, and any  inspection carried out then may not have been upheld under their previous declaration. I say this in respect to them actually seeking a conflict with the US and other countries, and if they launch missiles first without any percieved violation of sovereignty then what little support they might have would disappear. This is also with a basis that they want to start a conflict. Secondly, the Kang Nam was a test of UN sanctions in that the North Koreans really wanted to see if member states of the UN would carry out the inspections that the Security Council approved. This is an apparent no. Well for now anyways. member states are walking a fine line between action and monitoring. There may come a day where action is needed, and that day will probably be soon, but the monitoring is the way to go for now. Now that North Korea knows that its unlikely in the immediate future that ships will be inspected, they can continue trading with Myanmar and all those friendly to Pyongyang. Either way I think this launching of this vessesl was a test on the international community and the sanctions. if North Korea is testing the waters so to speak, then it wont be long that any slight of hand by the UN or US or other Western ally will lead to what Jong il believes is valid reason to restart a war.

Also in the news, Al Franken has been officially declared Senator of Minnesota..making the Senate fillabuster proof for this term…Im happy with thi sresult, as I am hoping that Frankens appearance will at least liven up C-Span!

And in other news from the world, there was a coup in Honduras…which of course left me wondering if all my vacations are doomed to some sort of curse! Im destined for Honduras come December, so lets hope that the country is at least stable enough to visit! But at the moment, it is looking like a long drawn out coup with no end in sight. The UN is backing former President Zelaya, but those who overthrew him vowed that if he returns to Honduras he will be arrested and tried for treason. And of course thicoup drew comments form Hugao himself…who suported Zelaya and is upset about the coup, and even called for the UN to use military force to intervene!  You wonder why? Well its because Zeyaya was pushing for Constitutional changes that would allow him to run for more terms, something Hugo himself has managed to do twice in Venezuala! The last hing he wants is a coup,  or even the thought of one, springing up in his country!

Well Im off to read for Cold War…

Later!

Global death penalty updates, and the introduction of Kim Jong Un… June 24, 2009

Well some of you may remember my adventure to Togo…and although Im no longer there, I keep an eye on the news in the region, and have a little nugget to share…Togo has abolished the death penalty.  This vote by the Togolese Parliament means that Togo has become the 15th member of the African Union and the 94th country in the world to abolish the death penalty for all crimes. Im actually really happy over this news because Im not an advocate of the death penalty and never have been for multiple reasons. Even in my undergraduate studies I majored in Criminal Justice where the majority of those in the program supprted the death penalty and I was an oddball even then. But alas, the world is slowly changing its stance on the issue, and while it wont be a sudden victory to have it abolished globally, it is a slow victory…one country, one state, one person at a time.

Im not sure how many of you remember the killing of the US diplomats in Sudan on New Years Day in 2008, but today the 4 men that were found guilty were sentenced to death by hanging.  The diplomat was an employee of the USAID program that the State Dept runs. And those who gunned him and his driver down were part of a group that had plotted to bomb Western embassies in the Sudanese capital in 2008.  While the US/Sudan relations are strained, its still good to see the Khartoum regime recognizing diplomatic status by actually seeking the guilty party and allowing the FBI to assist in the investigation. Maybe, one step at a time, the relationship will change…but alas, not while Darfur crisis is still going on.

For everyone on the mainland who has been following the North Korean chaos over the supposed launching over the July 4th weekend of bombs aimed at Hawaii…my message is to chill.  It seems that everyone I talk to here has people calling them about the issue, and even some of those I talk to back on the mainland ask about it. If North Korea launches a missile, the US should intercept it, and even if that fails, then yes Hawaii will be in chaos because we are not designed to handle disasters well (we prepare for them but our infastructure sucks and our distance from relief hurts us), but in the end if that occurs, then the US will be at war. So until soething actualy occurs, chill. (I think it will be unlikely that Kim Jong Il will launch a missile at Hawaii, he may be crazy, but even he does not have a death wish.)

And in more North Korean news, it looks like Kim Jong Il may be slowly choosing his successor, his youngest son Kim Jong Un. He was recently appointed as head of the North’s secret police and spy agency as well as been placed in charge of the two American journalists who were captured on the China border and found guilty of spying and sentenced to 12 years in a hard labor camp. Of interest, since the US has no official diplomatic relations with the North Koreans, Sweden has been acting as the USs diplomatic ties and working on the release of the journalists for the US. Hmmm…we have an entente with Sweden..cool, but not surprising.

Later!

Golden vending machines, the DUI barstool, and some North Korean charm June 18, 2009

Well the tradewinds have arrived and along with those blessed heat relieving winds came the rain…which I will gladly take right now because it too is giving my sweat glands a break from the 90 degree weather! Its been a relaxing past day or two. Ive been surfing the web…but not only for leisure…ive been pumping away at a paper due Sunday on NGO websites…and ive discovered that its kinda hard to analye websites becuase they always put theire best foot forward and hide their flaws. Oh well…its a good thing that im good at digging through good to find the bad!

In case you missed it, the military out here in HI has been put on alert due to North Korea. With a shipping vessel leaving North Korean ports carrying unknown things and them test firing a missile aiming it at HI…mortality has risen on my radar. At first when I heard the news I thought…ahh just another Kim Jong Il stunt…then I remembered that I live in HI now..not only that but I live on Oahu with all those military bases…somehow I dont think the missile is aimed at all the cows on Molokai! Oh well…Im not really afraid of death…if it happens it happens…and if it happens to be by nuke then so be it! At least its not death by fish!

In more news about crazy people…a man in Delaware decided it was going to be a good idea to set off fireworks in a local Arbys bathroom…and no one knows why because the man evaded the police…but if his goal was to sink a toilet then he succeeded!

A few months back I blogged about the DUI bar stool event in Ohio…well the man was contemplating selling the stool after he got alot of interest in it…until the Licking County Child Support Agency got wind of it and told him that if he sold it the money would have to go to the $37000 back owed child support he owes…so instead he offfered them the barstool and told them to sell it themselves.

Hmmm…it looks like someone forgot that the economy was bad.  Some German company decided to create a vending machine that will despense gold in ornamental boxes for $42. However, the creator argues that he came up with the idea of gold dispensers just before Lehman Brothers collapsed in September and was further convinced by a heightened interest in the precious metal as a hedge against inflation as the financial crisis rippled around the globe.  Yes…let me pump $42 of my hard earned money (ok..well my financial aid money anyways) into a vending machine so I can get a box of gold that cn sit on a shelf. Yes..it may be gold and worth more then the cash in my wallet…but that cash can buy me food..so ill keep my cash…its called survival.

Later!

Delayed blogging, bonfires, and relaxation galore May 24, 2009

Well I have discovered that being back in Ohio has led me to neglecting my blog…which is sad…so Im going to try and rekindle it…

I have spent alot of time at bonfires and cookouts over the past few days. Although enjoyable, my body is beginning to hate me, as I ahve welts from misquitos all over the place..and they itch, which is never helpful.  But fire is good…and beer is good…and food is good…so I will keep venturing into that world of relaxation as long as I can!

In news around to world…North Korea tested their nuclear weapons…this so cant be a good thing!  Not only does it lead to national security issues but I cant imagine all that underground testing is all that good on the environment! I mean North Korea is essentially an agricultural society, so I know I wouldnt want to eat anything grown there…Its bad enough that I lived downhill from a nuclear supersite my entire life, and it had some measures of public protection in place, but I some how doubt Kim Jong Il has made sure his people are protected from nuclear fallout…

Well the craziness of Ohio people is evident all the more since I have moved away…and I mean crazy…take for example the Toledo man who when he didnt get a nightly phone call from his mom who was traveling, decided that his neighbor had kidnapped her and stormed into their house to kill them. He was eventually killed in a bloddy shootout with police, but I cant help but wonder if 1)he was high on meth 2)where the neighbors gun was (cause come on it is Ohio) and 3) why a grown man is still a mamas boy.

In other disturbing Parent/child news…a London man tried to hire a prostitute to have sex with his 14 year old son…he said it was a gift for his sone to loose his virginity. Um when did parents push for their kids to grow up so fast?! Seriously?! At 14 I was getting the NO sex talk, not the PAY for sex talk…hmm…come to think of it…I dont think there ever was a PAY for sex talk…I cant imagine my dad having that discussion with me!

In blog news…there has been over 3000 visits…yay!

Later!